The New York Yankees could find themselves in another bidding war with rivals

The New York Yankees are already in a bidding war with the Boston Red Sox and others for free-agent superstar outfielder Juan Soto.

But they could also compete with their bitter rivals for one of the best starting players on the open market.

The Yankees and Red Sox both reportedly played on left-handed, multiple Cy Young winner Blake Snell before he signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this week.

According to MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand, the Yankees and Red Sox are looking to add a starting left tackle, which is why he believes they could get into a bidding war with each other for southpaw Max Fried.

“The Red Sox and Yankees are believed to be seeking a left-handed starter, which could ultimately mean a bidding war between the rivals for Max Fried,” Feinsand wrote.

Feinsand also mentioned a trade for lefty starter Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox as a possible pivot plan if one of those clubs misses out on Fried.

As MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported, the Yankees recently had discussions with Fried and another top free agent starter in righty Corbin Burnes, but no offers were made. The sole focus is still on retaining Soto, so bringing in a top starter could be a backup plan for the Yankees, according to Heyman.

Fried is one of the best frontline players after spending the first eight seasons of his career with the Atlanta Braves. The soon-to-be 31-year-old has made the All-Star team twice and finished in the top five in NL Cy Young voting in two different seasons.

Should the Yankees be unable to bring Soto back, they could spread their spending resources across multiple areas on the roster, and pairing Fried with ace Gerrit Cole would deliver a deadly 1-2 blow to their rotation.